Laryngoscope blade



p 1958 c. w. DURRANT 2,854,004

LARYNGQSCOPE BLADE Filed Feb. 26, 1957 CHARLES W DURRANT United States Patent LARYNGOSCOPE BLADE Charles W. Durrant, Syracuse, N. Y. Application February 26, 1957, Serial No. 642,426

3 Claims. (Cl. 128-276) This invention relates generally to medical diagnostic instruments, and has particular reference to an improved laryngoscope blade having a suction device incorporated therein.

Briefly stated, the laryngoscope blade contemplated by the invention is provided with a suction head mounted on the tip or distal end of the blade together with conduit means extending from the head to a point adjacent the proximal end of the blade where a suitable connection to a vacuum pump or the like may be made. The primary purpose of this construction, and thus the main object of the invention, is to provide suction or reduced air pressure at the tip of the laryngoscope blade without the need for an additional, separate instrument, the suction effecting the removal of mucus so that the physician or anesthetist is aflorded an unobstructed view of the throat and trachea upon first insertion of the blade.

The incorporation of a suction device right in the laryngoscope blade has the very important advantage that it leaves one of the anesthetists hands free to do other things as, for example, to intubate or move the trachea if deviated. The necessity for him to use one hand for the laryngoscope and the other for a suction catheter is eliminated. Another important advantage of this construction is that it is less traumatic than other blades now in use. Thus, instead of pushing the epiglottis upwards with the blade as is the usual practice, it can be gently sucked upwards and held, whereby the likelihood of trauma is lessened and post-operative complications due to a swelling of the epiglottis are reduced.

A further major object of the invention is to provide a laryngoscope blade having the aforementioned advantages wherein the suction device is incorporated in the blade in such a manner that it does not in any way impair the anesthetists vision or add objectionable bulk to the blade. The suction head and conduit means are relatively small and compact and are arranged to conform as closely as possible to the general shape of the blade.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a laryngoscope blade suction device which may be advantageously employed with any of the blade types or shapes commonly in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be-. come apparent from the following detailed description thereof read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a representative embodiment of the invention for the purpose of disclosure.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved laryngoscope blade embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the blade shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the distal end of the blade; and

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the proximal end of the blade.

' Having reference now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers designate the same parts in each of the views, 10 generally indicates the laryngoscopc blade which is curved in cross section as shown in Figures '3 and 4. The blade is provided with the usual illuminating lamp 11 at the distal end and a hook-on connection 12 adjacent the proximal end by means of which the blade may be attached to the battery handle (not shown). The

hook-on connection 12 is of the type disclosed in Patent No. 2,433,705, issued December 30, 1947, to H. E. Palmeter for Folding Laryngoscopeand per se plays no part of the present invention. With this type of connection, the blade may be folded parallel to the handle or completely detached therefrom when not in use, and the electrical circuit to the lamp 11 is completed only when the blade is in its outwardly projecting operating position.

In accordance with the invention, the suction head 14 is mounted on the distal end of the blade 10 so that it extends beyond the tip thereof, the blade preferably being cut away as at 15 to receive the inner side wall of the head as shown. The head is generally tubular in shape, I

having closed ends 17, and is formed with a slight curve in the vertical direction to conform to the curve at the tip of the blade. The outer side wall of the head is provided with one or more inlet apertures 18, Figure 3, the exact number thereof being arbitrary. The size of the apertures, however, is somewhat limited by the fact that they must be large enough to permit the removal of mucus or small foreign bodies but not so large that the ends of the uvula or epiglottis can be caught therein.

Communicating with the suction head 14 on the upper side thereof is a conduit or tube 20 which extends rearwardly of the blade in close abutting relation to its inner or concave side. Adjacent the proximal end of the blade, the conduit 20 is bent downwardly at an oblique angle and passes through a slot 21 which extends longitudinally inwardly from the blade end. The conduit terminates in a hose connection 22 by means of which flexible tubing (not shown) from a vacuum pump or the like may be detachably secured to the conduit to produce suction at the aperture or apertures 18.

The tubular conformation of the suction head 14 is provided so that there will be no sharp edges or projections at the leading edge of the laryngoscope blade, and so that objectionable bulk is not added thereto. In this connection, it will be noted from Figure 1 that the head is mounted on the blade so that approximately equal portions thereof extend above and below the blade, this arrangement permitting unobstructed vision along the inner side of the blade and at the same time keeping to a minimum the projecting material on the outer side. Similarly, the retention of clear vision along the blade is aided by the curvature of the suction head and the fact that the conduit is of the smallest possible size that will still permit the passage of mucus or the like.

In operation, the improved laryngoscope blade can be used to advantage in picking up small foreign bodies in the throat or pharynx as well as in removing mucus, these operations being performed with the aid of clear vision and without the need for a second instrument. The insertion of the blade into the throat is made in the same manner as with conventional laryngoscope blades but instead of prying upwardly on the epiglottis, the apertures 18 in the leading edge of the blade are positioned against it and it is sucked up and back by withdrawing the blade a slight amount. With this advantage, not as much of the blade need be inserted as is usually necessary so that there is less likelihood of trauma in the area around the cords. The improved laryngoscope blade disclosed herein also has a very important time saving advantage since it is easier to intubate in a visuallyclear, mucus free field and therefore less drugs are needed for the patient.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention discloses a greatly improved Iaryngoscope blade having many advantageous features in the particular field of medicine for which it is adapted. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The embodiment disclosed is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a laryngoscope bladehaving i a curved cross section, a suction device comprising an elongated suction head mounted transversely of the blade at the distal end thereof, said head being hollow and having a plurality of openings in the outer longitudinal wall thereof, and a rigid tubular conduit communicating at 4 curved cross section, said blade being formed at its distal end with a transversely extending cut away portion, a suction device comprising an elongated hollow suction head mounted in said blade cut away portion with its longitudinal axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the blade, said suction head extending outwardly beyond the end of said blade and having a plurality of apertures in its outer side wall, and a rigid tubular conduit communicating at one end with the interior of said head and extending rearwardly along the inner concave side of the blade to a point adjacent the proximal end thereof.

3. Structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said elongated suction head is curved to conform to the curved cross section of said blade at the distal end thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 374,122 Genese Nov. 29, 1887 1,613,373 Beck Jan. 4, 1927 2,482,116 Lanahan Sept. 20, 1949 OTHER REFERENCES The Lancet, September 24, 1955 (p. 650). V. Mueller & Co., Catalog of Surgical Instruments, copyright 1938. Page 120, items A-6720 and A-6710. 

